Northern Lights cruise by boat
Watching the aurora from the deck of a quiet electric boat, with a heated lounge a few steps away, sounds like the comfortable way to do it. It is. It is also the option with the least room to escape the clouds. Here is when the boat is the right choice and when the bus is.
How the boat cruise works
The Electric Northern Lights Cruise from Brim Explorer leaves from a pier beside the Skarven restaurant at Kaigata 6, in the center of Tromsø. You arrive 15 minutes before departure. The captain heads for whichever direction has the clearest forecast that night: north toward Kvaløyvågen, south into Ramfjorden, or west along the southern side of Kvaløya. While the crew watches for clear sky, you wait in heated lounges, with a vegan soup to warm up and drinks for sale at the cafe.
When the aurora appears, you put on your warm clothes and go out on deck. On the way back, you see the lights of Tromsø and the Arctic Cathedral from the water. The whole trip takes three and a half hours.
Who the boat suits
- Cruise guests on a short call: it is three and a half hours from a pier a few minutes from Prostneset.
- Wheelchair users: it is the only tour of the six listed as wheelchair accessible.
- Anyone who hates the cold: you only go outside when there is something to see.
- Families with children: no long drive, no snowfield, and a warm place to sit.
Warm, short and from the harbor
The electric boat cruise, from ~$134 per person, three and a half hours, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
The catch
The boat is the lowest-rated tour on our comparison page, 4.2 out of 5 from over 350 reviews, with value for money at 4.0. The reason is not the boat or the crew, whom travelers rate well, but geography. Clouds often sit on the coast, and a boat cannot drive two hours inland to the drier valleys the way a minibus can. On a night with broken cloud, the boat does fine; on a night with solid coastal cloud, a chase like our pick from Snow Travels has the much better chance.
Photos are harder too. Long exposures blur on a vibrating deck, and the guides help you with your own camera rather than taking portraits. Our photo guide has tips for shooting from a boat.
Boat or bus: how to decide
| Electric boat | Minibus chase | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$134 | ~$138 to ~$168 |
| Length | 3.5 hours | About 6 hours, often more |
| Escaping clouds | Only among nearby fjords | Inland, even into Finland |
| Warmth | Heated lounges | Thermal suits and a fire |
| Photos | Help with your camera | Professional portraits included |
| Accessibility | Wheelchair accessible | Snowy, uneven ground |
If the coastal cloud forecast is good, or if comfort, time or access matter most, take the boat. If the coast is cloudy and you have the whole night, take a chase. How to read the cloud forecast is in its own guide.
What to wear on the boat
Even with heated lounges, the deck is cold and windy when the boat is moving. Bring a warm jacket, hat, gloves and boots with a grip for a wet deck. Our packing list covers the rest, and if you are coming off a cruise ship, our cruise guide explains the timing.